Google Earth Maps / Disney World Interactive Fly-Through - This is Fun!

The odds are pretty good that this is the only way I'll get to Disney World. I read about Disney World being mapped into Google Earth, "in what Disney claims is the largest corporate entry on Google Earth" - as it said in the news.

I heard about the new gimmick on the news this morning, decided to try it out, and found a link to Disney World's introduction.

A video with Ludwig von Drake as narrator introduced me to the Disney/Google Earth 3D interactive flythrough. Then the video started replaying. I don't know if it's on an endless loop, and I'm not going to find out.

There's a catch to this Disney World map. Actually, two.

First, you'll need "the latest version of Google Earth" ("Google Earth 4.3, according to an Australian news article).

Second, this 3D virtual Disneyland isn't for older, slower computers. The good news is that Google Earth is free, and so is the Disney service.

I tried it with Google Earth 4.2. I could use it to find my way around, and get some information, but it wasn't 'as advertised' (naturally). Even so, it was pretty impressive to someone like me, who was around when 16-color graphics was a cutting-edge breakthrough.

So, I upgraded to Google Earth 4.3, tried it again - saw the same flat, very non-3D views.

Oh, wait.

When all else fails, read the instructions.

It's pretty clear that you're supposed to put "Show Disney World in 3D" in a popup (which didn't appear on my screen - no surprise, since I've opted out of popups). A button, quite prominently placed near the top of the screen, was labeled 'see this in 3D, you nitwit' - except the button was more polite.

I did, and buildings started popping out of the flat map.

I clicked the Mickey Mouse ears, and was on my way. After getting the hang of the controls, I flew under the monorail and at treetop level, past some of the attractions.

Actually, a little under treetop level. If I'd been in a real aircraft, I'd have probably made national headlines.

"Google Earth maps Disney theme park"
NEWS.com.au (June 6, 2008)

"WALT Disney was right: it's a small world after all.

"The sprawling Walt Disney World theme park in Orlando Florida has been mapped onto Google Earth, in what Disney claims is the largest corporate entry on Google Earth.

"Tourists will now able to plan their trip around Disney World with the aid of a 3D Google Earth map."